Animal Rights

What Everyone Needs to Know®

Paul Waldau

Description

In this compelling volume in the What Everyone Needs to Know® series, Paul Waldau expertly navigates the many heated debates surrounding the complex and controversial animal rights movement.

Organized around a series of probing questions, this timely resource offers the most complete, even-handed survey of the animal rights movement available. The book covers the full spectrum of issues, beginning with a clear, highly instructive definition of animal rights. Waldau looks at the different concerns surrounding companion animals, wild animals, research animals, work animals, and animals used for food, provides a no-nonsense assessment of the treatment of animals, and addresses the philosophical and legal arguments that form the basis of animal rights. Along
the way, readers will gain insight into the history of animal protection-as well as the political and social realities facing animals today-and become familiar with a range of hot-button topics, from animal cognition and autonomy, to attempts to balance animal cruelty versus utility. Chronicled here are many key figures and organizations responsible for moving the animal rights movement forward, as well as legislation and public policy that have been carried out around the world in the name of animal rights and animal protection. The final chapter of this indispensable volume looks ahead to the future of animal rights, and delivers an animal protection mandate for citizens, scientists, governments, and other stakeholders.

With its multidisciplinary, non-ideological focus and
all-inclusive coverage, Animal Rights represents the definitive survey of the animal rights movement-one that will engage every reader and student of animal rights, animal law, and environmental ethics.

What Everyone Needs to Know® is a registered trademark of Oxford University Press.

Animal Rights

What Everyone Needs to Know®

Paul Waldau

Table of Contents

Preface

Chapter 1: General InformationWhy do we need to know what is meant by Who, what are Where do we find Is concern for animal rights new?

Chapter 2: The Animals ThemselvesWhat do we know about animals' realities? Why do their realities matter? How does science categorize animals? How valuable is this scientific map in animal rights discussions? How valuable are the non-scientific categories we use when classifying animals? What do we know about numbers? Who, what are companion animals? Which animals are research animals, and how are they treated? What is the situation with entertainment animals? What is the status of animals used for food? What
about work and production animals? Is today's widespread concern for food and production animals new? Who, what are wildlife? Are wild animals more truly What other categories are popular?

Chapter 3: Philosophical ArgumentsHow do moral rights differ from legal rights? What role has philosophy played in the modern animal right movement? What have been the principal philosophical arguments about the moral importance of animals? What does philosophy suggest about our Chapter 4: History and CultureWhen did animal protection first occur? Does animal protection occur in all cultures? Has there been an increase in the number of
people protecting animals? Is it now possible to tell the full story of the humans' efforts at animal protection?

Chapter 5: LawsWhat is (traditional) law on animals? What is happening today in Legal Education Litigation Legislation Enforcement What is the role of legal rights in What is the significance of the What is possible under today's developing animal law? Is it likely that law, lawyers, and legislation will lead our societies in changes regarding the status of animals?

Chapter 6: Political RealitiesWhat are the political realities for animals today? What successes have there been in politics?What failures have
there been? What is the overall state of today's animal protection movement? What are the prospects today for legal rights for animals? What are the prospects for moral rights? What has been the role of the anti-vivisection movement? How significant is today's What about Public Policy? Is there any movement here? What will be the impact of the increasingly high profile and heavy funding of public health initiatives?What is the relationship of animal protection concerns to the worldwide environmental movement?Does animal protection mean job losses? What impact do ethnic and national food traditions have in animal rights discussions? What role do religious traditions play in the politics of animal protection?

Chapter 7: Social RealitiesWhat are the prevailing attitudes today in different societies regarding animals?What is our heritage? What importance have compassion and anti-cruelty had in the past? How are attitudes changing today? How well informed are modern consumers about current practices regarding animals? What about circuses and zoos? Do they educate us or imprison us? What is the role of sanctuaries? What animals are in the city?

Chapter 8: Education and the ArtsWhat is the most effective way of learning about animals? What has been the traditional role of animals in education? Have compassion and anti-cruelty been important values in education? What is happening in earliest (elementary) levels of
education? What about secondary education (high schools)? What is happening in colleges and universities? What is the field of What is the role of the professions and professional schools? What has been the role of the arts?

Chapter 9: Contemporary SciencesWhat is the role of science generally in our knowledge and treatment of animals outside our species?Which natural sciences have played important roles in our understanding of animals?Which social sciences today contribute to our understanding of animals? Which animals are intelligent or self-aware? Do other animals have their own communities? Do animals have emotions?

Chapter 11: The Future of Animal RightsWho are the others who join us in the more-than-human
community?Can ethics work hand-in-hand with science? What is the role of the individual citizen? What is the role of nonprofit organizations? What is the role of corporations? What is the role of municipalities and villages and other local communities? What is the role of provinces, states and countries in animal protection?

GlossaryChronology of Important EventsSuggestions for Further ReadingIndex

Animal Rights

What Everyone Needs to Know®

Paul Waldau

Author Information

Paul Waldau is Associate Professor and Principal Faculty Member for the online graduate program in Anthrozoology at Canisius College and President of the Religion and Animals Institute. He has served four times as the Bob Barker Lecturer on Animal Law at Harvard Law School and will again do so in 2012.

Animal Rights

What Everyone Needs to Know®

Paul Waldau

Reviews and Awards

"A superbly written, well-researched work that objectively looks at the subject matter, explores all sides of the issue, and makes good on its promise to provide the information 'everyone needs to know' about animal rights. Waldau's book will very likely become the animal rights bible and be an indispensible source for any serious discussion of the topic."--ForeWord Reviews

"This book provides a clear, succinct, and broad overview of an emerging area of academic and moral concern in a way that is accessible to many, academic and non-academic alike. Waldau's new work could easily serve as a foundational textbook for any advanced level work in the study of the human-animal relationship. Highly recommended."--H-Net

"Paul Waldau's Animal Rights: What Everyone Needs to Know gives us what it promises: a panoramic view of the major commitments underlying any academic or activist discourse on the rights of animals (or non-human animals as Waldau puts it). Based in the US and working in the areas of animal studies, ethics, religion, law and cultural studies, Waldau is a doyen of the contemporary animal rights movement." --Down to Earth